Posted in: TV | Tagged: Coronation Street, emmerdale, Writers Guild of Great Britain

UK Writer's Guild Responds to ITV's Coronation Street, Emmerdale Cuts

The Writer's Guild of Great Britain is reacting to ITV's major changes to soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale that will cost jobs.

ITV has announced plans to reduce the runtime for long-running soap operas Coronation Street and Emmerdale instead of opting for an increase in the number of weekly episodes for 2026. Bosses say the new schedule will allow viewers to "watch their favourite soap… in a more digestible way". However, the move could also see a reduction in the workforce across both sets in Manchester and Leeds, with ITV reportedly set to offer a number of employees voluntary redundancy packages. Those redundancies will include writers and a reduction of their payments per episode, which has prompted a response from the Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), the British writers union, and a sister union to the Writer's Guild of America (WGA).

A Brief History of Coronation Street and Emmerdale to the Uninitiated

Coronation Street is currently the longest-running soap opera on British television. When it first started, the soap was transmitted twice a week on December 9th, 1960, and increased to three episodes a week in October 1989, before adding a fourth weekly episode in November 1996. A fifth episode was then added in October 2002, and a sixth episode in September 2017. In March 2022, Coronation Street moved to three-hour-long episodes a week. Coronation Street currently airs hour-long episodes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8 pm. Emmerdale airs half-an-hour episodes at 7:30 pm every weekday – apart from on Thursdays when the show has a 60-minute runtime. Under the 2026 schedule, both shows will air back-to-back 30-minute episodes every weekday. Millie Gibson got her start on Coronation Street, respectively. It was her work on Coronation Street that caught Russell T. Davies' and played a part in her getting cast as Ruby Sunday on Doctor Who.

Emmerdale airs at 7.30 pm on weekdays as 30-minute episodes, aside from Thursdays when the show runs for one hour. When Emmerdale began in 1972, it started as two days a week. The show went from three episodes to five episodes in 2000 and moved from five episodes to six episodes in 2004. Emmerdale's single hour-long episode of the week has aired on Sundays, Tuesdays, and, most recently, Thursdays. A very young Jenna Coleman was a regular on Emmerdale before she eventually ended up on Doctor Who.

Writer's Guild of Great Britain Responds to ITV's Timeslot Cut

In response to the ITV announcement that there would be a reduction of 52 episodes per year for Coronation Street and Emmerdale, WGGB Chair Emma Reeves said, "ITV's announcement today of cuts to episode numbers on Coronation Street and Emmerdale is a real cause for concern, coming in the wake of the axing of BBC Doctors last year and the cancellation of Holby before that. The reduction from six to five episodes per week on Coronation Street and Emmerdale from 2026 means fewer opportunities for work for our members and a further blow to continuing drama. We are seeking further clarity from ITV and talking to our affected members as a matter of urgency. We are holding a meeting for affected writers on Friday, 7 February, at 11 am online. Members will have received an email with information about how to join. For further information or for affected members who would like advice, please contact eleanor@writersguild.org.uk"

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